advice on 82 maxim 1100

[jjz28]

I am going to look at an 82 maxim today for $500. He says it a real nice bike but needs an electrical box. He said it runs on 2 cylinders, so i guess it needs a coil. COuld be just carbs. I love my 79 special, was wondering how much alike they are. Are they more advanced? Any advice is welcome. thanks. I will be leaving in a couple hours to look at it.

[cowboy1157]

The motors and transmissions are the same. The difference is the body style of the bike the XJ has more of the cruiser style than the XS. AT 500 dollars it sounds like you maybe getting a good bike.

[crazy steve]

..I love my 79 special, was wondering how much alike they are. Are they more advanced? Any advice is welcome...

They're the same to a point, but a lot of parts are different. Not much direct interchange with a XS outside of most (but not all) motor/driveline parts, with the big mechanical differences being the 'linked' brakes and electrical (particularly the latter). Almost no trim parts will interchange (tanks, seats, etc) and they're hard to find, so completeness is a big plus when looking at one. Most of the 'improvements' these bikes featured complicates working on them a bit, but they do have a better suspension. You'll definitely want to get an XJ service manual to work on it...

Running on two cylinders is likely a carb or coil problem, as these don't suffer the broken pick-up wires like the XS. Fuse panel is pretty much the same as the XS, but the install of a new one is harder because of limited space.

Good luck!

[jjz28]

well, i went and looked at it and it is pretty nice. Has a different paint job than factory with blue and silver flames. It is complete and he said it was the ignition box under the seat. he swapped coils around and that wasnt the problem, then he put a box off a 78xs 1100 and all wires fired but it would not start. It will start with the old box on 2 cylinders though. He also has an 85 kawasaki gpz 750 turbo that is REALLY sweet for $1500. I would love to have it too.I like my 79 xs better than his xj so i dont know what i am going to do yet.

[soccer4m]

go for the kawi

Hi Jeff, I have had or have nearly all the xs, xj models including the 82 xj1100 maxim. It is a sweet bike, very smooth and effortless, and a cruiser type feel that the xs line doesnt feel like,,,,,however if it is the ignition box,,,,good luck as these are extremely rare. THere is a member on site that fixes them, look through the forum or ask one of the moderators. Most likely it is the carbs, as two cylinders out is the carbs, as the igi boxes are pretty failsafe. For 500 bucks or less that is a sweet deal for that bike, but unless you are good at carb repair or igi diagnostics, the kawi is a great bike also. The xj1100 maxim is a one year model so parts, other than engine,drivetrain are hard to get, or pricey. But, the xj1100 is more refined than the xs1100's and a sweeter sound, and riding positon if you like a cruiser that can fly. SO, if you are handy at xs stuff, buy the xj, if not go for the kawi,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Mike in Sun Diego

[jjz28]

I just cant decide if i want to get it or not. I should have took some pics to put on here. He had the seat off charging the battery. The seat was pretty good with a couple slits in it. It would clean up really nice, the exhaust was really cool. he said that 2 wires wasnt firing and he swapped the coils and same thing so that eliminated the coils unless it would be the wires to the coils but when he put the box on, all 4 wires fired but it wouldnt run.

[natemoen]

There really is no reason it should have started at all with the old TCI on it. That TCI is pinned differently than the TCI for the XJ.

[crazy steve]

Soccer is right, the XJ boxes are very hard (but not impossible) to find. If the rest of the bike is good, that's a very decent price. Andreas has some XJ parts listed in the 'for sale' forum, you might check with him. Trying just a early-model box won't work because of too many differences.

As a worst-case, you could install a complete earlier XS ignition in place of the stock system with some slight rewiring, but this will require the TCI, timing plate/pickup coils, mechanical and vacuum advances, and ignition cover off the earlier bike.

[jjz28]

well, i called him back and he sold it. oh well, hes still got the gpz, i may get it. It is ready to ride.